bad clutch? please help
 

:eek:
Help!

My car was acting weird and wouldnt go into gear when it first started, and then once it warmed up and i drove around a little, it would work fine.
it did this for a week or so, i had to start it in gear and drive around the parking lot slowly for 10 min, to get it to work.

Then it stopped working, and now i cant even push the clutch down to start my car, im pretty sure the clutch is just completly dead, it wont do anything, wont go into gear, wont start, because the ignition wont let me turn it without pushing in the clutch.

I am going to take it in to a shop, but i wanted to see if anyone has any ideas of what is wrong. So that i dont just assume its all the clutch and not have enough money to fix it once its at the shop.

Worn clutch will slip, & yours sounds like it's dragging instead.

Sounds like it might be problems with the hydraulic system. (Or is your car old enough to have a cable??) Is the clutch fluid OK? Maybe air in the hydraulic system? Any leaks from the clutch fluid?

Accords back to 92 & probably some years before that, the throw-out lever should move about 12mm. So here's a check for you to do (with a friend to pump the pedal).

Test 1: Find the clutch slave cylinder down between the trans bellhousing & the radiator. Some years there's a rubber boot around the throw-out lever. When pumping the clutch pedal, that lever should move back & forth about 12mm.

Test 2: Pump the pedal and then hold it down to the floor. The throw-out lever should NOT slowly ooze back towards the slave cylinder. If it does, that would indicate a bad master cylinder.

My car is a 1990... Im pretty clueless about cars really... so im not sure what cables it may have..
I forgot to mention that when i push down the clutch, it doesnt release, it just sticks down.. like there is nothing there.

The fluids are ok, I just had the master cylinder replaced about 6 months ago.

I just want to rule out transmission or anything that will be thousands of dollars... does it sound like i just need a new clutch?

It sounds like you have a problem with the hydraulics. A bad clutch would not catch and you would notice the engine revving like you pushed in the clutch pedal while in gear.

This is the parts blowup of the hydraulic system: http://media.honda.co.uk/car/owner/m...al/400/7-3.pdf

This information is on the 91 accord manual link I posted in the online manuals thread in the DIY section.

The slave cylinder is on the front of the transmission. Check that there is no fluid leaking and none is trapped in the boot.

You want to see if the slave cylinder pushes the release fork about 12mm or 1/2 inch when someone pushes the clutch in.

The hydraulic system of the clutch is outside. You should probably hope for a problem in hydraulic system, so that it can be repaired without removing the transmission from the car.

Look at the picture at PA's link. The slave cylinder (bottom center) has a piston that pushes out against the release fork. THAT's the part that's supposed to move 12mm. Also check if it slowly moves back while the pedal is held to the floor.

FIRST thing would be to bleed the clutch hydraulic system. That's a process of putting fresh fluid through the system, and removing all air bubbles.

Bad news would be if the hydraulic system is all OK, then your problem begins to sound like bad synchros inside the tranny.